Between the massive fanfare of One Direction and the growing popularity of both Adele and Ed Sheeran in the 2010s, it felt like the U.K. was inescapable when it came to music. British culture was taking over YouTube videos and style, while these artists were taking over the radio. And yet, since that time, there haven’t been many artists capable of making a splash over the pond.
Enter: Sam Fender and Olivia Dean. These two artists aren’t new to the industry, but with their album releases this year, they’ve both captured American audiences.
While their accents may be British, Fender and Dean’s sounds have a strong influence from American icons. Fender is often coined the “Geordie Springsteen” (as a nod both to Bruce Springsteen and where he’s from in England), and his sound feels akin to The Killers. Dean’s jazzy style mimics Dionne Warwick, Norah Jones, and Lauryn Hill. Both of their styles have a classic feel, evoking a feeling of nostalgia for a different era of music.
One of Fender’s biggest strengths is how authentic his lyricism is. Many of his songs touch on political issues, and in the current climate of the United States, that aspect is so refreshing. In his song “Crumbling Empire,” he writes about the deterioration of working-class communities, which he’s from, and even mentions the American city of Detroit. His music is very aware, and while the lyrics are heavy. He mixes it with incredible instrumentation from guitar to saxophone solos on a song like “Rein Me In.”
Last week, I got to see Fender in concert at The Roadrunner, and he was incredible! But what stood out to me the most was the energy from the crowd. The night was electric, with a crowd ranging from female college students like me to older men my parents’ or grandparents’ age. While his American leg of shows has a stark difference in size compared to those in the U.K. (3,500 vs. 52,000), a packed house of Bostonians singing along to every word from an artist from Northern England felt so special.
Although Olivia Dean spent time opening for Fender this summer, her American reach is even larger. According to Music Week, she became the first female artist since Adele to chart three singles simultaneously on the UK charts. And one of them, “The Man I Need,” has cracked into the top ten on the Global 200 and sits at #30 on Billboard’s top 100. And for good reason — that song has been on repeat for me this past month or so; it’s incredibly catchy. No wonder it has over 700,000 videos on TikTok.
And her new album, The Art of Loving, is continuing that success. It truly is a “no-skip” album in my opinion. With articles in Vogue, ELLE, and Rolling Stone on release day, Dean has found herself garnering more and more attention. She’s opening for Sabrina Carpenter on tour this fall, which is bound to get even more American eyes on her, and many believe she may also get a Grammy Best New Artist nomination.Â
I’ve been a fan of both Dean and Fender for years, so seeing them start to get all this love, not just from the UK but American audiences, has been so special. And they deserve it! I love to see new voices, especially diverse ones, make a mark in the music world that can sometimes feel so exclusive
Have you listened to Fender or Dean?
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